Look for the Red Tractor, shoppers urged

Embattled pig farmers are calling upon consumers to back them in the same way they have helped to support Team GB in the past fortnight.

Failing harvests of wheat, maize and soya around the world have caused a shortage of pig feed, driving up the cost of feeding Britain’s pig herds to an unprecedented level.

And while British pork and bacon has already had an important boost from the London Olympics organising committee, which insists that all pork and bacon served there is Red Tractor accredited, another three pig farmers have announced they are selling their herds because of mounting losses.

This means a weekly loss of 63,000 rashers of British bacon, 95,000 sausages and 10,000 pork pies – just from these three farms.

“They have the power to save British bacon for future generations if they check it is British rather than imported when they are shopping,” said Dr Zoe Davies, of the National Pig Association.

“Please make an extra special effort over the next few weeks to look for the British Red Tractor logo.

“If supermarkets see a surge in demand for British products, it will persuade them to pay our farmers the few extra pennies a kilo more they need to cover their soaring feed bills.

“Shoppers have always been incredibly loyal to British pig farmers in the past so we’re asking them to please be extra careful to look for the British Red Tractor logo on bacon, and also on sausages, and fresh pork.”

According to the National Pig Association, pig farmers representing 10 per cent of the nation’s pig supply will have to stop production over the next six months because they cannot afford to feed their pigs.